Taiwan is a small, wealthy democracy with a well-educated population living daily under the threat of invasion by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the world’s third most powerful military. With no other enemies and a very low threat of terrorist attacks, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) focuses primarily on preparing for a possible PLA invasion.

The MND regularly publishes two crucial documents: the National Defense Report and the Overall Defense Concept (ODC). The National Defense Report provides a comprehensive overview of the security environment, the status of the armed forces, and overall defense policy implementation. It also sends policy and implementation signals to the United States and other foreign militaries, facilitating cooperation.

The Overall Defense Concept (ODC) focuses on enhancing Taiwan’s deterrence capabilities through multi-domain deterrence and asymmetric warfare. Key elements include unmanned aerial vehicles and naval drones, mobile radar platforms, coastal defense systems, sea mines and fast minelayers, MANPADs and anti-armor rocket systems, electronic warfare, and decentralized command structures for combat resilience and adaptability. More importantly, the ODC provides a comprehensive defense framework integrating all military and civilian assets.